Dangerous dogs kennelling costs police £3.7m

Kennelling types of dogs suspected of being dangerous, cost police at least £3.7m in 2010, according to figures given to BBC Newsnight.

During that period, 2,493 dogs were held by the 29 police authorities in England and Wales that kept records.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which applies to England and Wales bans four types of dog.

But critics say the legislation is not fit for purpose and has failed to curb the number of dog attacks on people.

Out of control

Figures detailing the kennelling costs - the most recent available - were passed to Newsnight by Labour MP Luciana Berger, who obtained the data under a Freedom of Information request as part of her campaign for new dangerous dog laws.

The 1991 legislation, still in force in England and Wales, bans the ownership, breeding of, sale or exchange of the pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the dogo Argentino and the fila Brasileiro.

It also gives police powers to deal with any dog, whatever the type or breed, that becomes out of control in a public place - with the ultimate sanction for a dog to be destroyed. Amendments in 1997 gave courts discretion over this and over the sentencing of owners.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have both amended their laws on dangerous dogs in recent years to reflect concern from workers who enter a private property and from members of the public.

'Urgent action'

Ms Berger has called on the government to take "urgent action" and grant the police powers of preventative action which could avoid the need, and cost, of kennelling.

Her proposals would allow police to take action on private property, produce dog control notices and instigate compulsory micro-chipping, so that dogs and their owners can be traced more easily.

"This isn't a party political issue, there are MPs from across the house... that are demanding of government to wake up, pay attention and take some action. We cannot afford to see another child die. We've seen six children lose their lives since 2006," said the MP.

One of those children was John Paul Massey, who lived in her Liverpool Wavertree constituency.

John Paul, four, was mauled to death by a pit bull terrier at his uncle's house in 2009.